Thunder Power 1300mAh 70C 3S "Magna" Battery Review

Thunder Power Lipo batteries are some of the most loved batteries you'll hear people talk about. However they are hated by nearly as many. If you love them you praise their power and reliability. If you hate them you criticize their price and performance. Which is it?

Discharge Testing

I ran my standard discharge test and the results were pretty clear. Thunder Power lipo batteries are middle of the road at best. The IR on each cell was around 10mOhm. The best cells are around 5mOhm per cell. A poor performing 35C pack is around 12mOhm.

The discharge graph told a similar story. It was about half way below the top performing SMC pack and the lowest performing Lumenier 35C pack.

"but you have to fly them to see the difference..."

The Thunder Power advocates will often say you have to fly them to feel the difference. Mr. Steele, one of the world's best FPV pilots, used to fly Thunder Power. Why? They were the reputed king of batteries. So he flew them for years. Recently he was given an SMC pack to test. He noticed the difference right away. He now flies and endorses SMC packs. Watch this video where he does a back to back flight with Thunder Power and SMC packs.

Mr. Steele compares Thunder Power to SMC

"but their service is what sets them apart"

Maybe once upon a time. Now, not even close. I experienced it first hand. It was a slow (over a month) and tedious (over a dozen emails) process. I've had much better dealings with Hobby King. The one time I had an iffy lipo they credited my account with the purchase value after one email. The forums are full of stories of how Thunder Power customer support and sales is measured in weeks.

Conclusion

Thunder power is no longer the brand they once were. Maybe once upon a time this level of performance was the best money could buy. However, now there are many packs that are more powerful and half the price. It simply does not make sense at any level to buy Thunder Power packs. They are certainly not worthy of the 70C label. Definitely not worthy of the $35 price tag. You can do better based on every level: price, performance, and customer service.